What's Your Name Little Girl?

When I was a kid, I went to CampRobogey every summer. I didn't even make up the name of that camp, though I mayhave invented the spelling.They taught us lots and lots ofcamp songs, which we'd holler at the top of our lungs out in the field and onthe bus. One of them was called, "What's your name?" The boy was "LemmeKissya". The girl gave a variety of answers, depending on her mood. Such as"Ida Wanna" or "Wanna More". To me, having a variety of monikerswas not unusual. In our household, we all had nicknames. Admittedly, I was theone who gave out the names, so I guess it's more honestly to say that everyonewas called something different depending on my mood. Beanaball, Dursky, Wild Cherry, Facey…they all meantsomething at the time. One of my sisters still suffers under the name I calledher nearly fifty years ago: Leedalo. (It's a long story.)For me, Catherine meant my parents were not very pleased with me.Which occurred fairly often, since I was the eldest and a spoiled brat. CatherineLynne was even worse because my mom or dadwas taking the time to say the first and second, usually in a rather loudvoice. I was therefore Cathy. To myfriends, my family, and to my parents when I was behaving. At school. In theyearbooks. In the newspaper, when I wrote for the Press Club, or got my picturetaken with the high school field hockey team.When I got married, the womanalways took her husband's name. So I did and now I had a different last name.Then I got married again. Repeat. Then I got married again. Kept both thattime. (No comments, please, on my former serial marriages. That's for anotherblog—maybe.)Cathy This, Cathy That, CathyThatNow, Cathy Now. Mr. Now called me Katy, so I added that to the list. Still not Catherine.Until my books came along.Catherine, after all, is my legal name. Catherine Astolfo to be specific(having dropped That in common usage). So that's how my books got published:The Bridgeman, by Catherine Astolfo; Victim, by Catherine Astolfo (www.imajinbooks.com).BUT, my different names habitcontinued and I unknowingly made it very difficult for people to find my books.My blog, I call Katy's Words (www.katywords.blogspot.com).My website, I call www.catherineastolfo.com.My email uses both: cathy@catherineastolfo.com.People who are my readers (and sometimesmy friends) call me Catherine. It still makes me shiver. But it's better thanhaving them ask, "What's your name, old girl?"